Colombia election: Ex-Bogotá mayor López backs leftist Cepeda for runoff

Former Bogotá mayor Claudia López has officially thrown her support behind left-wing presidential candidate Iván Cepeda, a key move ahead of Colombia's June 21 runoff election. López, who garnered 0.95% of the vote in the first round, becomes a significant figure in the highly polarized race.

At a joint press conference, López emphasized that her endorsement was not a blank check but an independent vote based on respect and democratic consensus. She cited Cepeda's "human trajectory, ethical, transparent, constructive, and democratic life" as reasons for her support. Her backing came after Cepeda agreed to three non-negotiable conditions: a frontal fight against corruption, guarantees for institutional security and territorial peace, and a reform of the health system.

Crucially, López secured Cepeda's explicit commitment to respect the National Registrar's institutional rulings on election day, regardless of the final margin. She also forced Cepeda to publicly and definitively distance himself from President Gustavo Petro's proposal for a National Constituent Assembly, an initiative that faces broad rejection from moderate sectors.

López, who has a 30-year history of shared social activism with Cepeda, vouched for his "serene, serious, conciliatory, and concerting" character. She had previously dismissed any possibility of aligning with far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, whom she harshly labeled a "mafia defender."

Cepeda, who narrowly lost the first round to de la Espriella, called López's endorsement a "reason for pride, joy, and satisfaction," praising her vocation.